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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050725">Choose A Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostyK/pseuds/LostyK'>LostyK</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whoops, all whump! (Whumptober 2020) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Evil OC Dark Sides, Gen, Pick who dies, Whumptober, downer ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:01:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostyK/pseuds/LostyK</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <b>Whumptober Day 2: Pick Who Dies</b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Thomas meets another side, and is forced to make a terrible decision.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Deceit | Janus Sanders &amp; Thomas Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whoops, all whump! (Whumptober 2020) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Choose A Side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for whumptober day two: "Pick who dies"! Yes, I am aware it's the middle of the month, but in my defence, starting whumptober on the 16th is a very Thomas Sanders thing to do. I am planning on writing a follow up for a later prompt, so keep an eye out for that!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Janus rose up, it wasn’t in the mind palace like it should have been. Instead, he was in a dark, empty version of Thomas’ living room, a feeling of malaise wrapping around him like thick smoke.</p><p>“What the-“</p><p>Janus turned, and his heart sank when he saw Thomas and Virgil standing in their usual spots. The others were nowhere to be seen.</p><p>“Did you do this?” Virgil asked, bristling.</p><p>There was an undercurrent of hope in Virgil’s voice that stopped Janus from being offended at the accusation. He shook his head wordlessly and tasted the air, ignoring Thomas’ wide eyes at the sight of his tongue. The scent he picked up almost choked him from the force of it; he clenched his fists with the urge to strike hard and fast, find all the weak points and make them <em>scream</em>.</p><p> “We need to go,” Janus snapped, because he recognised that feeling. “Get him out of here.”</p><p>Virgil spun and reached for Thomas’ arm, only to go flying across the room before he could make contact. He hit the wall and stayed there, pinned by some invisible force. Janus only had a moment of alarm before something pulled him through the air. His breath slammed out of him as back hit the wall.</p><p>Thomas raced forwards then froze, halfway across the room. He lifted on arm and reached out, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.</p><p>“Okay,” Thomas said, and Janus didn’t need to glance at Virgil to see that he was panicking. “What the hell is going on?”</p><p>“Oh, don’t mind them.” Malice appeared in the middle of the room as if he’d always been there, dressed in the same expensive suit as when Janus had last seen him. “I’d hate for them to interrupt while I’m trying to introduce myself.”</p><p>“Wh-who are you?” Thomas asked, taking a step back.</p><p>“Why, I’m Malice,” the other side said with a bow.</p><p>Thomas shook his head. “No, that’s- That can’t be true. I can’t have a side that’s <em>malice</em>.”</p><p>Malice laughed and took a step forward. He reached out and stroke one hand against Thomas’ cheek.</p><p>“I feel real, wouldn’t you say?” Malice whispered. “As real as anything around here, anyway.”</p><p>“Get the fuck away from him,” Virgil snarled, straining against whatever power Malice was using to keep them in place.</p><p>Malice turned, and looked straight at Virgil, and Janus stiffened. The old instincts of <em>draw his attention away, protect Virgil</em> came screaming back.</p><p>“You see,” Malice said, as he strode towards Virgil and Janus. “Once upon a time we were a happy little family. But, see, some people decided they didn’t want me in their family. So they shut me up here!”</p><p>Thomas’ gaze turned to Virgil, upset and confused, silently questioning. Virgil looked away, not meeting his gaze, and Thomas turned his attention to Janus instead. Janus’ mouth went dry. He knew it had been the right thing to do, to keep Malice locked away where he couldn’t destroy Thomas. But the look on Thomas’ face stopped him from admitting that.</p><p>“Thomas,” Janus said instead, “This is your mind. You control-”</p><p>Malice’s fist hit his stomach, knocking the air out of him. He gasped for breath, tried to curl in on himself, but couldn’t move. Malice smiled, and drew his arm back for the next blow.</p><p>“Stop!” Thomas shouted.</p><p>Malice went still, eyes glinting like a cat that’d just spotted a mouse nest. Janus tensed, sensing the trap but unable to see it and Malice took a step away from him, shrugged and said, “If you insist.”</p><p>Before Janus could say anything, Malice took a step to the side and punched Virgil in the face. Virgil’s head snapped back, hitting the wall, and when Malice stepped back Janus could see blood dripping down Virgil’s chin.</p><p>“Now, I know what you’re thinking,” Malice said, completely calm. “You’re thinking, <em>but Malice, I already have </em>so<em> many sides. However will I fit another in</em>? And I understand those feelings, really, I do. But here’s the thing-” Malice was stood between the two of them, so close he could just reach out and touch them and they wouldn’t be able to do a <em>thing- </em>“You don’t really need <em>two </em>sides for self-preservation, do you?”</p><p>Dread curled heavily in Janus’ stomach, and Virgil started trashing against the invisible restraints again.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Thomas asked. Janus could see his chest heaving with anxiety, though how much was Virgil’s fear and how much was his own he couldn’t tell.</p><p>Malice frowned. “Really, Thomas, do we need to bring Logic in here? You pick which of them you want to keep, and you can take them away with you. Oh, and the other one gets killed horribly by me,” Malice added. “Sorry, it’s the rules, and also I’ll find it incredibly fun.”</p><p>Thomas looked from Virgil to Janus and back again, fear evident on his face.</p><p>“Thomas,” Virgil rasped.</p><p>“Don’t, Virge, I- I’m going to get you both out of here, okay?” Thomas said.</p><p>It was funny, but some part of Janus had believed Thomas would manage to make everything okay, right up until he sensed the lie in Thomas’ words.</p><p>Janus was going to die.</p><p>He had none of the insecurities the others had about his role; he <em>knew </em>that he was important, that Thomas would suffer without him, would <em>die </em>without him. But he also had no delusions about his standing among the other sides. It had been barely over a month since the wedding, and though Thomas accepted him, even that had been a grudging thing. Thomas had known Virgil for years, Thomas <em>liked </em>Virgil, did his best to make him feel comfortable, stuck up for him whenever another side’s words hit too close. Really, it was barely a question.</p><p>“Right,” Virgil said, “But if you don’t- it’s okay, if you choose him.”</p><p>“Virge-”</p><p>“The- the others will probably be able to take over things. You shouldn’t let him-” he broke off, choking on the word. “Not because of me.”</p><p>A swell of hope surged up within him, that maybe Thomas would listen. It was quickly doused by horror. Oh, he’d throw anyone under the bus to get ahead without a second though, but for Virgil to be tortured by Malice, to be <em>killed</em>-</p><p>He should be able to say something, to tell Thomas to save Virgil and get out of there. He couldn’t. He was self-preservation – he’d fight to protect all parts of Thomas, of course he would, but to knowingly offer up his own life? His function prevented him from speaking the words.</p><p>All he could do was try to soften the blow, make sure it was one side, and not two, that Thomas lost, because he didn’t want to know what Malice would do if Thomas didn’t choose.</p><p>“Thomas, it’s okay,” Janus lied. “We’re a part of you. Dying would be unpleasant, yes, but we can’t <em>stop existing</em>. We will always be there.”</p><p>It was even true, in a way. They existed solely within Thomas, which meant that no, they could not <em>die </em>the same way Thomas could. But that didn’t mean they’d still be there afterwards. Even if Thomas did manage to retain their functions, there would be nothing of <em>them</em>, the parts of Janus that liked snakes and the colour yellow and revelled in the thrill of a good trick. The parts of Virgil that listened to emo music and stayed up far too late watching scary videos, and kept making Janus check under his bed for monsters and serial killers when they were younger.</p><p>Virgil was watching Janus, and Janus managed to catch his eye. Shaking his head would alert Thomas to what was going on, so all he could do was hope Virgil saw what Janus was doing. Let Janus play the part of the trickster one more time, Loki guiding Hod’s arrow, so Thomas didn’t have to know what he was doing.</p><p>“Times up,” Malice sing-songed. “Sorry, but we don’t have forty five minutes for you to make this decision.”</p><p>“No,” Thomas said, firmly. “I’m not going to <em>pick who dies</em>, that’s sick.”</p><p>Malice sighed, and then shrugged. “Well, if you <em>really </em>can’t choose…”</p><p>Something rose up, twisting around Janus’ neck and <em>pressing</em>, making him choke. His hands were free, now, and he reached up and tugged at the rope, but it wouldn’t move. It pressed tighter, stopping him from being able to <em>breathe</em>-</p><p>Light danced in his vision, he could hear Thomas say something, yell at Malice to stop, and Malice reply. His vision began to fade, going grey at the edges-</p><p>“Okay, Virgil! Save Virgil!”</p><p>The rope disappeared and Janus fell forwards, no longer pinned to the wall, and struggled to breathe. When he registered what had happened, the air was knocked out him again.</p><p>He looked up, Thomas was holding Virgil in his arms. Virgil was still shaking, hands touching his throat, looking like he didn’t see the room in front of him; and Thomas-</p><p>Thomas looked <em>devastated</em>.</p><p>“Janus-” Thomas choked, but Malice was already moving forward, blocking Thomas from his sight.</p><p>Malice wrapped his fist into Janus’ hair and used it to pull him into a sitting position. “Sorry, Thomas,” he said, “No take backs. I’m not sure <em>why </em>choose a snivelling freak like Anxiety, but, well the pickings were slim.”</p><p>“Don’t,” Thomas begged. “Please, just-“</p><p>The knife hit him in the stomach. It hurt surprisingly less than he’d always assumed it would. He gasped, and Malice was still infront of him, still blocking his view from Thomas, and something broke inside him.</p><p>He tried to pull away from Malice, crying and unable to stop, and this time when Malice stabbed him he did scream, sobbed and called Thomas’ name, because Thomas was meant to fix things, <em>had </em>to be able to fix things-</p><p>“Step away from the reptile,” someone who sounded like Roman said, and Malice’s hand disappeared. Janus curled in on himself, as if that would actually stop him from being stabbed again.</p><p>Nothing else happened, though, and Janus looked up, blinking past the tears.</p><p>The other sides were there. Roman was stood in front of Malice, sword pointing at his chest; Logan was next to Thomas, talking, and Patton-</p><p>Patton ran to Janus’ side, pressed his hands against Janus’ wounds. Janus hissed, tried to pull away because it <em>hurt</em>, and Patton whispered, “I’m sorry, kiddo, but I have to stop the bleeding.”</p><p>“You three weren’t invited,” Malice said, sulkily.</p><p>“We are parts of Thomas,” Logan replied. “You could never hold us back for long.”</p><p>“Should have spent less time on the monologue,” Roman said, though his voice was brittle. “Classic villain mistake.”</p><p>“Is Janus-?” Thomas started to ask.</p><p>“Janus will be fine, if we can get him out of here,” Logan said. “Malice holds too much power over this place.”</p><p>“I can’t leave,” Thomas said. “I <em>tried</em>.”</p><p>“Of course you couldn’t,” Logan replied. “You didn’t have me. This place thrives off of fear and repression. I, on the other hand, am none of those things. Listen to my voice; you are not here. You are in your apartment, and you are safe. <em>You </em>are in control of what you imagine.”</p><p>The movement was gradual, not the usual sudden rising up. Malice’s room began to fade away, replaced by the usual light and clutter of Thomas’ apartment. Patton was still kneeling at his side, but the others had returned to their usual places. The agony in his stomach had faded into a dull ache, phantom pains from an injury that no longer existed. Janus pushed himself to his feet and adjusted his clothes.</p><p>Virgil was huddled in on himself, eyeshadow streaked down his face. He refused to meet Janus’ eyes. Patton remained kneeling, and Logan and Roman just looked concerned.</p><p>“What <em>happened</em>?” Roman asked.</p><p>“Janus,” Thomas said, “I’m <em>so sorry</em>.”</p><p>It was the truth; or at least, it was a truth Thomas believed. He really did regret that Janus had nearly died, that he liked Virgil too much to save him. It hadn’t been enough to save him, though.</p><p>“It’s fine,” Janus managed to say. It was clear from everyone’s looks that no one brought that.</p><p>“I’m sure it wasn’t your fault,” Patton told Thomas softly, and Janus couldn’t stop the ugly, bitter laughter that rose up.</p><p>Thomas flinched, and Janus looked away. Thomas had been crying, he hadn’t realised that before. Wasn’t sure when the crying had started, or if it even mattered.</p><p>“Well,” Janus managed, finishing adjusting his gloves. “That did nothing to solve today’s dilemma. Since I imagine you’ll want to rest, I’ll leave you be.”</p><p>He hesitated, waiting for Thomas to say something, to tell him not leave, that everything would be okay and nothing like that would ever happen again. Thomas just nodded.</p><p>The rest of the sides looked torn, but Janus wasn’t interested in false platitudes from them. He disappeared back to his room.</p><p>No one came after him.</p>
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